: Morocco
Born: 1945 in Casablanca
Born in 1945 in Casablanca, Abdelkrim Ghattas is a prominent figure in modern Moroccan painting. Trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Casablanca and later at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, he belongs to the generation of artists who, in the late 1960s, helped shape a contemporary Moroccan visual identity that bridges tradition and modernity. Upon returning to Morocco, he taught at the Casablanca School of Fine Arts and became an active contributor to the national artistic scene.
His work is distinguished by a subtle interplay between abstraction and figuration, where geometry, light, and color hold a central role. Ghattas draws inspiration from Moroccan cultural forms—architecture, calligraphy, and popular symbols—infusing them with poetic and spiritual resonance. His paintings embody a pursuit of harmony between order and movement, between the discipline of line and the freedom of gesture.
Throughout his career, Abdelkrim Ghattas has exhibited widely in Morocco and abroad. A member of the Moroccan Association of Plastic Arts, he has also created several public murals in cities such as Casablanca, Asilah, Agadir, and Salé. His luminous and balanced compositions reflect both a deep attachment to Morocco’s visual memory and a continuous quest for beauty and equilibrium.